Well I'm on the Downeaster "Alexa"And I'm cruising through Block Island SoundI have charted a course to the VineyardBut tonight I am Nantucket bound

We took on diesel back in Montauk yesterdayLeft this morning from the bell in Gardiner's BayLike all the locals here I've had to sell my homeToo proud to leave I worked my fingers to the bone

So I could own my Downeaster "Alexa"And I go where the ocean is deepThere are giants out there in the canyonsAnd a good captain can't fall asleep

I've got bills to pay and children who need clothesI know there's fish out there but where God only knowsThey say these waters aren't what they used to beBut I've got people back on land who count on me

So if you see my Downeaster "Alexa"And if you work with the rod and the reelTell my wife I am trawling AtlantisAnd I still have my hands on the wheel

Now I drive my Downeaster "Alexa"More and more miles from shore every yearSince they tell me I can't sell no stripersAnd there's no luck in swordfishing here.

I was a bayman like my father was beforeCan't make a living as a bayman anymoreThere ain't much future for a man who works the seaBut there ain't no island left for Islanders like me

The music video for "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" certainly doesn't romanticize working on the sea.

Live at Yankee Stadium (1990)

Billy is accompanied by the great Jean Luc-Ponty on violin in this live performance from 1990 or 1991.

Billy and the band on the Rosie O'Donnell Show (1998)

Live version for 12 Gardens (2006) (audio only)

Billy and Itzhak Perlman perform the song live at Madison Square Garden in March 2015. From BillyJoel.com.

Videos - The Making of "The Downeaster 'Alexa'"

Billy Joel discusses "Storm Front" on Good Morning America. See 1:28 for "The Downeaster 'Alexa.'"

Billy explains a little bit about the origin of the song and performs it during a Master Class in 2001.

Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." Billy was a fan of Gordon Lightfoot and this song inspired "Downeaster 'Alexa'"

In this excerpt from the Shades of Grey documentary, Billy discusses "The Downeaster 'Alexa'," life, and songwriting.

In a funny bit, Billy explains the beat of "The Downeaster Alexa" on 1 and 3, and how the song developed.

Procol Harum, live performance of "Salty Dog" ("All hands on deck, we've run a flow")

All music and lyrics by Billy Joel, except as noted. This is an unofficial fan site providing information and commentary on Billy Joel's music. It is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Billy Joel, Sony Music, Columbia Records, Maritime Music, or any Billy Joel organization. Billy Joel's official site is at BillyJoel.com.